Removing Gas fire in rental property

Emmazom

Hi, myself and partner will be moving into a new rental property with out currently landlord this month. He's happy for us to decorate, retile, floor etc if we so wish.

One thing I would like to do however is remove the Gas fire from the living room, now I wanted to get a view on how to do this before I approached him.

It's a gas fire, with a black marble back and hearth and a wooden mantle. We would ideally like to remove this, and we will be redecorating and flooring that room anyway.

What I would like to know is how much it's likely to cost to get someone out to make it safe, cap off the gas, and how easy it would be to remove everything in one piece so that it could be put back into use if that was one of his conditions?

Thanks

HappyMJ

Emmazom wrote: »

Hi, myself and partner will be moving into a new rental property with out currently landlord this month. He's happy for us to decorate, retile, floor etc if we so wish.

One thing I would like to do however is remove the Gas fire from the living room, now I wanted to get a view on how to do this before I approached him.

It's a gas fire, with a black marble back and hearth and a wooden mantle. We would ideally like to remove this, and we will be redecorating and flooring that room anyway.

What I would like to know is how much it's likely to cost to get someone out to make it safe, cap off the gas, and how easy it would be to remove everything in one piece so that it could be put back into use if that was one of his conditions?

Thanks

Why are you spending money to redecorate something that you do not own?

It would cost a lot. A chimney may be essential to the structure of the building so removing it might cost thousands.

I'd just leave it alone and not use it. Removing it and storing it will destroy it and they aren't cheap to buy and install.

edit: after a bit of searching...you've also got building regulations to consider. You cannot remove a gas fire and cover up the hole as the chimney is part of the ventilation requirements for the room. You could put a vent in the space but they look worse than the gas fire in the first place. You could put some large holes in the wall but again that would look terrible.

eddddy

Emmazom wrote: »

What I would like to know is how much it's likely to cost to get someone out to make it safe, cap off the gas, and how easy it would be to remove everything in one piece so that it could be put back into use if that was one of his conditions?

That may be a big problem.

Does the gas fire meet current regulations and have installation instructions?

An installed gas fire that doesn't meet current regulations can continue to be used. But once it's removed, it probably can't be legally re-installed.

eddddy

... and out of interest, how long is your tenancy agreement for?

If it is for, say, 12 months - you have no guarantee that you won't be evicted after that, having spent lots of money on the house.

Emmazom

Our Landlord is pretty on the ball with everything, so I assume it has meets regualtions, we havent asked yet, but it is a relatively new property. We don't have Gas in our current property so can't comment on how often he gets someone to check the Gas.

I didnt imagine we would need to do anything to the chimeny? The fire is flat against the wall, no chimeny breast in the room. We just planned to get it removed, plasterboard or brick up the hole and then redecorate. Or am I being naive? The property itself is around 20 years old and I think the fire has been in since it was built

Emmazom

We're aware that he could evict us at the end of the tennancy, we've currently been his tennants for four years with not a single problem, we currently live in an apartment and he's given us first refusal when any of his other properties have become available to rent.

In the end, this will be my home for at least a year, so I want to make it into a home. We have done absolutely no decorating to our apartment and after 4 years it still doesnt feel like home

HappyMJ

Emmazom wrote: »

Our Landlord is pretty on the ball with everything, so I assume it has meets regualtions, we havent asked yet, but it is a relatively new property. We don't have Gas in our current property so can't comment on how often he gets someone to check the Gas.

I didnt imagine we would need to do anything to the chimeny? The fire is flat against the wall, no chimeny breast in the room. We just planned to get it removed, plasterboard or brick up the hole and then redecorate. Or am I being naive? The property itself is around 20 years old and I think the fire has been in since it was built

Building regulations have changed significantly in the last 20 years.

It would have met BR's 20 years ago but build it again now and it would fail.

In my opinion 20 years old is not a relatively new property. It's young, not old but certainly not "new" or anywhere near it.

HappyMJ

Emmazom wrote: »

We're aware that he could evict us at the end of the tennancy, we've currently been his tennants for four years with not a single problem, we currently live in an apartment and he's given us first refusal when any of his other properties have become available to rent.

In the end, this will be my home for at least a year, so I want to make it into a home. We have done absolutely no decorating to our apartment and after 4 years it still doesnt feel like home

Buy a house and redecorate to your hearts content.

You can make a house a home by using furnishings rather than ripping out gas fires and bricking up holes.

Cakeguts

Do not spend any money on this house. If you have permission to redecorate and you can do that cheaply this is as far as you should go. Anything can happen and you could be asked to leave in 12 months. If you have to leave in 12 months would you be happy to know that you would have to leave any improvements behind. If you do not like the interior of this house the way it is now don't rent it. Find one that you do like the interior of.

Emmazom

He has owned the property for 6 years, he's currently getting a new boiler put in at the moment, and as mentioned as far as I can tell he's a stickler for the rules and has never given me any indication that he's a slum landlord, I've seen several of his properties so far and none have shown any red flags on inspection

Emmazom

If I could buy a house I would, unfortunately I can't at the moment so renting will be my only choice. As I mentioned it would be my choice to do this, I asked for recommendations on the work entailed and a rough cost, not just a blanket ban on spending any money on a rental property.